|  |
Wednesday, 8/24/10 - Racing is abandoned for the day at the International C Class Catamaran Championship, otherwise known as the Little America's Cup. The good news is that the rest of the week looks good once this nor'easter blows through.
Racing consists of an up-to-12 race series of fleet racing to determine the seeding for the match racing. The top two seeds will have a first to five point match race series to determine the winner of the International C Class Catamaran Championship [note that unlike the AC, the Defender does not get an automatic place in the finals]. The course is a 6 mile windward-leeward, with one mile legs and up to four races each day. The course area will be weather dependent, but either north of the Newport Bridge or off Beavertail. Boats will launch off the beach at Harbour Court and store their wing sails in a duo-purpose hospitality tent.
|
|
|  |
Wednesday, 8/24/10 - It was a different look for sailing on Day 3 of the ninth annual 18ft Skiff International Regatta on San Francisco Bay.
On The City's hottest day of the year no locals could recall offhand when their thermometers last touched 96 degrees, especially following what they were calling their coolest summer in years. The breeze felt like Waikiki and the beach at Crissy Field overrun with sun-soakers, dogs and joggers looked like Mardi Gras at Rio de Janeiro---but, no, that was the Golden Gate to the west without the usual shroud of fog, and after a two-hour wait for decent wind the most skilled sailors made the most of it.
Three Australians, led by Herman Winning, the son, with eight points, Michael Coxon, 10, and Woody Winning (the dad), 13, and the USA's Howie Hamlin from Long Beach, 14, cut themselves a 10-point gap from the other 10 entries with four races remaining over the next two days. Photos by Chris Ray, www.crayivp.com
|
|
|  |
Wednesday, 8/24/10 - Alberto Roemmers' Matador won the Race 1 of the Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy regatta for the TP52 Series, bouncing back after a disappointing showing in Barcelona last month when they finished seventh overall. Check out more here.
|
|
|  |
Wednesday, 8/24/10 - The third day of racing at the 2010 Hobie 16 World Championships in Weihai, China concluded the qualifying series with teams completing three races in a solid, consistent 14-16 knot breeze. ISAF has more here.
|
|
| |
MOVING PICTURES
Wednesday, 8/25/10 - 2010 International Skiff Regatta hosted by the St. Francis Y.C. on San Francisco Bay August 22-26. 18 foot skiffs.
|
|
| |
MOVING PICTURES
Wednesday, 8/25/10 - More highlights from around the world of sailing including Simon Payne's win at the Moth European Championship.
|
|
| |
MOVING PICTURES
Wednesday, 8/25/10 - The C Class cats are mixing it up at the Little America's Cup - On the Water Anarchy interviews Gordon Kaiser from Team Invictus.
|
|
|  |
Tuesday, 8/24/10 - Alain Thébault, founder and pilot of the Hydroptère project, and Jean-Mathieu Bourgeon, scientific manager of the project, have unveiled their new prototype l'Hydroptère.ch - a 35ft catamaran - at the Decision SA shipyard in Ecublens, Switzerland, which will soon be launched on Lake Geneva.
l'Hydroptère.ch will help the design team in conceiving l'Hydroptère maxi, the purpose of which is to beat the most famous oceanic records and to follow Jules Verne's vision of 'flying around the planet'. The boats will attempt all the major records: pure speed, an Atlantic crossing, a Pacific crossing and a circumnavigation.
|
|
|  |
Tuesday, 8/24/10 - The world's best match race competitors will gather to St. Moritz (Switzerland) next week for the sixth stage of the ISAF World Match Race Tour. It will be the eighth edition of St. Moritz Match Race. Check out the site here.
|
|
|  |
Tuesday, 8/24/10 - The shore teams have arrived, the containers unloaded and the build process has begun as Kiel, Sailing City on the Baltic Coast in northern Germany, once again plays host to the Extreme Sailing Series on the third stop of the 2010 European tour. Check out the site here.
|
|
|  |
Tuesday, 8/24/10 - Today is Practice Race day for the TP52 Series at the Caja Mediterráneo Region of Murcia Trophy regatta and the weather forecasters are promising a typical 8-13 knots of sea breeze off Cartagena for the 11 boat fleet to complete their final preparations before racing begins tomorrow. Get the update here.
|
|
|  |
Tuesday, 8/24/10 - The 2010 Etchells World Championships started at Howth today yesterday with two scheduled races sailed in freshening winds, with Ante Razmilovic of the UK holding a one point lead over Australian sailing legend John Bertrand at the end of the first day. Get the complete update here.
|
|
|  |
Tuesday, 8/24/10 - At 09:03:55 GMT today, 24 August 2010 skipper Sidney Gavignet (FRA) onboard OMAN AIR MAJAN crossed the finish line off Lizard Point, Cornwall to smash the single handed Round Britain and Ireland record (subject to ratification by the WSSRC). ISAF has got the story here. Photo Mark Lloyd.
|
|
| |
MOVING PICTURES
Tuesday, 8/24/10 - Here's a video produced by the Quantum team doing some mainsail testing & rig tuning in Cartagena.
|
|
| |
HOME MOVIES
Tuesday, 8/24/10 - Update from Graham 'Gringo' Tourell onboard Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA60 on the first day of the Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race.
|
|
|  |
Monday, 8/23/10 - After a day and a half waiting for the wind on Lake Geneva last weekend, the 12-strong D35 fleet finally got away on Sunday for three races of the Grand Prix Open de Crans in a 3-8 knot Séchard.
The refinements made to the Alinghi multihull over the summer holidays and the team's renewed focus on light air training paid off and Alinghi had strong starts in the first and second races, crossing ahead of the fleet and leading around the course to take two wins. Two out three wins on Sunday was enough to secure the regatta victory and to put the Alinghi team back on the podium for the overall season championship.
"We are delighted to be back on form," said Ernesto Bertarelli, helmsman and team owner, after the race. "We haven't had many successes during the early stages of the Championship, in fact we sailed quite badly on two or three occasions. We made some mistakes, but this time we're pleased, we almost had a clear round."
Alinghi.com checked in with mainsail trimmer and project manager, Pierre-Yves Jorand, for the 'off the boat' report:
Congratulations - the hard work and light air focus paid off - what was the winning formula?
Pierre-Yves Jorand: I think that everything was linked, first of all we had some great starts - we did a lot of practice during the week. We had two wonderful port tack starts - very powerful. Secondly we worked hard on our boat speed in the light - especially on the mainsail set up and by building a new drifter. This paid off quite a bit. And finally Tanguy Cariou did a wonderful job on calling the tactics, keeping an eye on the puffs and keeping the boat in the right spot. So great team work all round.
All the preparation and no wind - how do you stay focused?
PYJ: Well as you say on Saturday unfortunately there was not enough breeze to have a proper race, so the Race Committee did a good job and kept the crew ashore - we had beach volley tournaments, Swiss card games, etc., so plenty of action. From the team's point of view, regardless of delays, we always start the day with boat preparations, but after that there was not much else to do other than stay ashore, relax and have fun. The Club Nautique de Crans kept everyone occupied. It was a great weekend from every aspect.
What was the game plan once the racing did start?
PYJ: Our main game plan came as a result of lessons learnt from the first half of the season: To simplify our starting strategy. We tried to execute this as best we could and it paid off. From then on we concentrated on playing our strengths: boat speed and strategy. It was a good overall weekend, very good team spirit aboard and a great atmosphere ashore.
Two wins and a fourth - what happened in the last race?
PYJ: Port tack start was favored and 80% of the fleet was on port. We were wrong with our timing, but we sailed to our target numbers and in the best pressure on the course and managed to catch up nicely, rounding the first mark in 8th place and the next one in 6th and on the final downwind we passed another couple to finish 4th which secured the regatta win.
With two events to go, can the team still win the Season Championship for a fourth time?
PYJ: Well everything is still possible, but this is not our main focus. We are taking things one race at a time. We will hopefully sail as we did last weekend, hopefully in good conditions and we will see. The game is tricky, we know it will be very hard to win, we will try to sail our best and have fun doing it!
Plans before the next event?
PYJ: This week is quiet as Nils [Frei] and Tanguy [Cariou] are sailing the X40s. We will be back on the water during the middle of next week with the full crew to do some speed tests and race practice for the next event.
The next D35 regatta, Sogeti Cup La Réserve, is scheduled for 4-5 September and will be the penultimate event of the Julius Baer Season Championship.
|
|
|  |
Monday, 8/23/10 - The World Match Racing Tour regrets to announce that The Qingdao Match Cup has been cancelled after the local organising authorities were unable to commit to hosting the event.
Despite an agreement having been concluded in June 2010 the local authorities have been unable to meet the requirements outlined by WMRT.
WMRT remains committed to the expansion and development of the world championship series and continues its discussions with potential cities.
|
|
|  |
Monday, 8/23/10 - Arrived Thursday night in Newport, the 4 members of the french team -Benjamin Muyl, Antoine Koch, Jérémie Lagarrigue, Vianney Ancelin - started to discover their boat, Patient Lady VI. Valencia Sailing has got the story here.
|
|
|  |
Monday, 8/23/10 - Up and coming French solo sailor Louis Duc today announced his withdrawal from the 2010/11 VELUX 5 OCEANS. Constrained by a lack of time and struggling to find sufficient financial support, the 26-year-old was left with no choice but to concentrate on the 2014/15 edition of the race. Check BYM for the story.
|
|
|  |
Monday, 8/23/10 - 2009 Star World Champion George Szabo (USA) sailing with Frithjof Kleen (GER) has won the ISAF Grade 1 2010 Star North American Championship after a solid series in California. Check ISAF here for the full story. Photo courtesy of the California Yacht Club,
|
|
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8602.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8601.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8600.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8599.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8595.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8594.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8593.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8592.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8591.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8590.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8587.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8586.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8585.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8584.jpg");)
![click to open](javascript:windowOpen("images/home/8583.jpg");)